Automatic fire-alarm system.



I. B. SIMMS.

AUTOMATIC PIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24,1913.

1,1 1 1,708. Patented septh 22, 1914.

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AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

ArrLxoA'rIoll FILED SEPT. 24,1913.

Patented Septh 22, 1914.

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m B. SIMS, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB. 0F ONE-THIRD T0 HUNT, OF WHEATLAND, CALIFORNIA.

.AUTOIATIC FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, IRvxN B. SIMMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire- Alarm Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric fire alarm system.

It is the object of this invention to provide an electric fire alarm system in which a series of alarms will be automatically sounded in various localities on the operation of a heat-actuated circuit-closer, which is so constructed and arranged as to ive a continuous alarm when the circuit 1s once closed, and in which the destruction of the heatactuated circuit-closers will not out oil' the alarms.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention primarily resides in a series of separate normally open circuits, a source of electric supply for each circuit, a plurality of electric alarms and a series of thermo-circuit-closers in each of said circuits, means whereby the closing of one of the circuits will cause closing of the remainder of the circuits, and means whereby the closing of some one of the latter circuits will operate to close the initially closed circuit independent of the thermo-circuitclosers therein.

The invention further consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 1s a similar view of a modified form of the invention.

The present invention necessarily embodies a series of two or more separate cooperating circuits, here shown in the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. l as three in number and indicated at A-B and C. Each circuit is provided with a suitable source of electrical supply, here indicated as consisting of batteries 2; each circuit bein consructed and arranged as follows: Lea

ing rom one terminal of the battery 2 is a conductor 3, which leads to and terminates in a contact member 4; and leading from the other terminal of the battery 2 is a con duotor 5 which terminates in a contact mem ber 6, disposed adjacent to the contact member 4. Arranged in series on the conductor 5 is a normally denergized relay magnet 7, which 1s adapted when energized to actuate an armature 8, supported on a plate spring 9, which armature carries a contact member 1 0. The contact member 10 is normally positioned out of contact with the 'contact members 4 and 6 on an adjacent circuit, and is designed to be moved into engagement with the contact members 4 and 6 when the magnet 7 is energized, to complete a circuit from the battery 2, as will be later described.

Leading from the conductor 5, mediate the contact 6 and the magnet 7, is a third conductor 11 which parallels the conductors 3 and 5, and arranged in parallel between the conductors 5 and l1 is a series of electrically operated alarm bells 12 of any suitable description. Disposed in parallel between the conductors 3 and 11 is a series of heat-actuated closing devices 13, provided with normally open contact members 14 and 15 leads from the conductor 3 terminating 1n the contact member 14, and leads from the conductor 1l terminating in the contact member 15. The circuit closin devices 13 are here shown as comprising t ermometers containing a suitable quantity of mercury, which on expanding whcn subjected to a predetermined temperature will act to complete an electrical circuit between the contacts 14 and 15. Any other form of heat-actuated circuit closing device may be employed, as occasion may require.

In the application of the invention a series of separate circuits as A-B and C are arranged in different sections of a building, such' for instance as on different floors, or in wings or annexes, and in some cases carried to adjacent buildin or remote points. Each separate circuit ma extend over any desired portions of a bu' ding according to the arrangement of the rooms therein, and the alarms 12 and circuit closets 13 may be arran d at any convenient point; preferably an a arm 12 and one or more circuit closers 13 will be disposed in each room within the limits of the circuit. The batteries 2, where batteries are employed, and the magnets 7 are situated at points less liable to be immediately affected b re, and the various conductors are prefera ly passed through conduits so as to prevent their ready destruction.

In the operation of the invention when fire occurs adjacent to any one of the circuit closers 13, which for the purpose of illustration will be considered as one of the circuit closers in the circuit A of Fig. l, the

latter will be affected by a rise of temperature in such manner as to close the contacts 14 and 151 and thereby complete a circuit from the battery 2, through conductor 3, circuit closer 13 and conductors 5 and 11, or vice versa. The current passing through conductors and 11, between the battery 2 and thc circuit closer 13, will operate to sound the alarm 12 and energize the magnet T in the circuit A. The energizing of the magnet 7 will act to attract the armature 8 and thereby move the contact member into connection with the contact members 4 and (i in thc circuit B. Current will then flow from the battery 2 in circuit B, through conductor 3, contacts 4 and 6, conductors 5 and 11, thereby sounding the alarms 12 and energizing the magnet 7 in the circuit B. The energizing of the magnet 7 in the circuit B will operate to close the contacts 4 and 6 in the circuit A, so that the current in circuit A will then pass through conductor 3, contacts 4 and 6, and conductors 5 and 11, through the alarms l2 and magnet 7, thereb v maintaining a flow of current in the circuit A independent of the actuated circuit closing device 13. By this arrangement the destruction of the circuit closers 13 will not break the circuit through the various alarms. The closing of the circuit B by the magnet 7 in circuit A will also cause the energizin of a second magnet 7 in the circuit B, whic will operate to close the circuit C and thereby sound the alarms 12 and energize the magnet 7 therein; the magnet 7 in the circuit C then operating to close another set of contact members 4 and 6 in the circuit B. Bfv this arrangement complete destruction o the circuit- A and the co-acting magnets 7 at the junction of the circuits A and B will not disable the circuits B and C.

It is manifest that the foregoing arrangement may be extended indefinitely, and that any number of separate circuits may be controlled directly from a sin le circuit, as circuits A and C are control ed by circuit B; or the arrangement can be continued as from circuit A, circuit B, to circuit C, and from circuit C to other circuits, as occasion may require. As each circuit is complete in itself, it will not be affected by the destruction of the other circuits, so that alarms in the unaffected circuits will be continuously sounded.

In some instances it may be desired to em lo v an annunciator D in conjunction wit the circuits. in which event the wiring is arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2, and in this case an annunciator coil will be mounted in series between the conductor 3 and the W ...s t. .a www....sswasmmavwwwss circuit closer 13. The annunciator D is preferably arranged at a remote point, and, if desired. may be adapted to indicate either entire sections or circuits as A and B, or an annunciator coil may be connected between the conductorand eachof the circuit closers 13 in a circuit so asto indicate each individual circuit closer. The annunciator will be operated onthe completion of the circuit through one of the circuit closers 13 and will remain in its operative position as long as a contact is closed in one of the circuit closers, and by thus being interposed in the circuit between the conductor 3 and the circuit closer 13 will only be actuated on the operation of the circuit closer and .will not be affected by the closing o an adjacent circuit through the contacts 4 and 6.

It is manifest that the construction of the magnets, alarms and circuit closers may be varied as occasion may require, and that any suitable source of electrical energy may be employed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an electric alarm system, the oombination with a source Yof electrical supply and a normally open circuit connected thereto, of a series of electric alarms, a series of thermo-circuit-closers arranged in parallel in said tcircuit, a second normally open circuit, means operated by the closing of the first named circuit by the circuit-closers for closing said second circuit, and means by which the closing of the second circuit will effect an auxiliary closing of the first named circuit independent of the thermo circuitclosers.

2. In an electric alarm system, the oombination with a source of electrical supply and a normally open circuit, of a series of electric alarms, a relay magnet and a series of thermo-circuit-closers arranged in parallel in said circuit, a second normally open circuit, means whereby the energizing of the relay magnet in the first circuit will operate to close the second circuit, and means controlled by the closing of the second circuit for closing the first circuit independent of the thermo-circuit-closers.

3. In an electric alarm system, a pair of separate and independent circuits a series of electric alarms and a series of thermocircuit-closers arranged in parallel in each of said circuits, and means whereby the closing of one of said circuits will close the other circuit independent of the thermocircuit-closers.

4. In an electric alarm system, a pair of separate and independent circuits s. series of electric alarmsk and a series of thermocircuit-closers arranged in parallel in each of said circuits, a relay magnet in each of said circuits, and a switch in each circuit adapted to be closed by the energizin of the magnet in the other circuit whereby t e closing of one circuit will effect the closing of the other circuit independent of the thermocircuit-closers.

5. An electric-alarm system comprising a series of separate normally open clrcuits, a source of electrical supply for each circuit, a plurality of electric-alarms and a series of thermo-circuit-closers in. each of said circuits, means whereby the olosing of one of the circuits Will cause the closing of the remainder of the circuits, and means .whereby the closing of some one of the latter circuits will operate to close the first closed circuit independent of the thermo-circuitclosers the-rein.`

6. An electric-alarm system comprising a series of separate normally open circuits, a

source of electrical supply for each circuit, a plurality of electric-alarms and a series of thermo-circuit-closers arranged in parallel in each of said circuits, a relay-lmagnet in each circuit, a normally open switch in each circuit adapted to be closed by the energizing of the magnet in an adjacent circuit and byv which closing of all the circuits will be effected independent of the thermo-circuitclosers when one of the circuits is once closed..

In testimony whereof .I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IRVIN B. SIMMS.

lVitnesses:

J. HAYES FISHER, A. L. Ponmnn. 

